# 1987–88 West Ham United F.C. season

For the 1987–88 West Ham United F.C. season in English football, West Ham United finished 16th in the league.

## Season summary

Again John Lyall waited until three quarters of the season had passed before bringing any new signings to the club. Even so, the two players he did eventually bring in, Julian Dicks and Leroy Rosenior, would play a major part in helping the club to just avoid relegation for the second season running.
Alan Dickens had to play most of the season as a striker as Frank McAvennie had signed for Celtic without a replacement being found until Rosenior's arrival.
West Ham finally finished in 16th place in the First Division.
Stewart Robson, a midfielder, won the club player of the year award, although Tony Cottee continued to score the most goals, with 13 in the league and 15 in all competitions. However, Cottee would be sold to Everton for a national record £2.2 million by the start of the following season, leaving manager Lyall with a big gap to fill in the forward positions as he had lost his two highest goalscorers within a year of each other.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 14 | Norwich City | 40 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 45 | |
| 15 | Derby County | 40 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 35 | 45 | −10 | 43 | |
| 16 | West Ham United | 40 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 42 | |
| 17 | Charlton Athletic | 40 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 38 | 52 | −14 | 42 | |
| 18 | Chelsea (R) | 40 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 50 | 68 | −18 | 42 | Qualified for Second Division play-offs |

## Results

West Ham United's score comes first

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 15 August 1987 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 0–3 | 22,881 | |
| 22 August 1987 | Luton Town | A | 2–2 | 18,073 | Brady, Stewart (pen) |
| 29 August 1987 | Norwich City | H | 2–0 | 16,394 | Cottee (2) |
| 31 August 1987 | Portsmouth | A | 1–2 | 16,104 | Strodder |
| 5 September 1987 | Liverpool | H | 1–1 | 29,865 | Cottee |
| 12 September 1987 | Wimbledon | A | 1–1 | 8,507 | Cottee |
| 19 September 1987 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0–1 | 27,750 | |
| 26 September 1987 | Arsenal | A | 0–1 | 40,127 | |
| 3 October 1987 | Derby County | H | 1–1 | 17,226 | Brady |
| 10 October 1987 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–1 | 15,757 | Ince |
| 17 October 1987 | Oxford United | A | 2–1 | 9,092 | Caton (o.g.), Cottee |
| 25 October 1987 | Manchester United | H | 1–1 | 19,863 | Stewart (pen) |
| 31 October 1987 | Watford | A | 2–1 | 14,427 | Dickens, Cottee |
| 7 November 1987 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 0–1 | 16,277 | |
| 14 November 1987 | Everton | A | 1–3 | 29,405 | Hilton |
| 21 November 1987 | Nottingham Forest | H | 3–2 | 17,216 | Cottee (2), Stewart (pen) |
| 28 November 1987 | Coventry City | A | 0–0 | 16,740 | |
| 5 December 1987 | Southampton | H | 2–1 | 14,975 | Keen, Dickens |
| 12 December 1987 | Chelsea | A | 1–1 | 22,850 | Parris |
| 19 December 1987 | Newcastle United | H | 2–1 | 18,679 | Robson, Ince |
| 26 December 1987 | Wimbledon | H | 1–2 | 18,605 | Stewart (pen) |
| 28 December 1987 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–2 | 39,456 | Hilton |
| 1 January 1988 | Norwich City | A | 1–4 | 20,069 | Cottee |
| 2 January 1988 | Luton Town | H | 1–1 | 16,716 | Ince |
| 16 January 1988 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–0 | 14,509 | Dickens |
| 6 February 1988 | Liverpool | A | 0–0 | 42,049 | |
| 13 February 1988 | Portsmouth | H | 1–1 | 18,639 | Cottee |
| 27 February 1988 | Derby County | A | 0–1 | 16,301 | |
| 5 March 1988 | Oxford United | H | 1–1 | 14,980 | Ward |
| 12 March 1988 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–3 | 8,118 | |
| 19 March 1988 | Watford | H | 1–0 | 16,051 | Rosenior |
| 26 March 1988 | Manchester United | A | 1–3 | 37,269 | Rosenior |
| 2 April 1988 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–2 | 18,435 | Rosenior |
| 4 April 1988 | Everton | H | 0–0 | 21,195 | |
| 12 April 1988 | Arsenal | H | 0–1 | 26,746 | |
| 20 April 1988 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–0 | 15,775 | |
| 23 April 1988 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | 17,733 | Cottee |
| 30 April 1988 | Southampton | A | 1–2 | 15,652 | Cottee |
| 7 May 1988 | Chelsea | H | 4–1 | 28,521 | Rosenior (2), Hilton, Cottee |
| 14 May 1988 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | 23,731 | Robson |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 9 January 1988 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–0 | 22,043 | Brady, Cottee |
| R4 | 30 January 1988 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–3 | 23,651 | Cottee |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st leg | 22 September 1987 | Barnsley | A | 0–0 | 10,330 | |
| R2 2nd leg | 6 October 1987 | Barnsley | H | 2–5aet (lost 2–5 on agg) | 12,403 | Robson, Keen |

## Squad

| Number | Player | Position | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | FAC Gls | LC Apps | LC Gls | Date Signed | Previous Club |
| West Ham United 1987-88 First XI ||||||||||||
| 1 | Tom McAlister | GK | 39 | | 2 | | 2 | | 1981 | Bristol Rovers |
| 2 | Ray Stewart | RB | 33 | 4 | 2 | | | | September 1979 | Dundee United |
| 3 | George Parris | LB | 27(3) | 1 | | | 2 | | 1985 | Academy |
| 4 | Billy Bonds (Captain) | CB | 22 | | 2 | | | | 1967 | Charlton Athletic |
| 5 | Gary Strodder | CB | 27(3) | 1 | 2 | | 2 | | March 1987 | Lincoln City |
| 6 | Liam Brady | LM | 21(1) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | | March 1987 | Ascoli |
| 7 | Mark Ward | RM | 37 | 1 | 2 | | 2 | | August 1985 | Oldham Athletic |
| 8 | Alan Dickens | F | 25(3) | 3 | 1 | | 0 (1) | | 1982 | Academy |
| 9 | Paul Ince | CM | 26(2) | 3 | 0 (1) | | 2 | | 1986 | Academy |
| 10 | Tony Cottee | CF | 40 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | September 1982 | Academy |
| 11 | Stewart Robson (Hammer of the Year) | CM | 37 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | 1 | January 1987 | Arsenal |
| Important Players ||||||||||||
| 6 | Kevin Keen | M | 19(4) | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | 1986 | Academy |
| 6 | Tony Gale | CB | 17(1) | | 2 | | | | August 1983 | Fulham |
| 5 | Alvin Martin | CB | 15 | | | | 2 | | July 1976 | Academy |
| 3 | Tommy McQueen | LB | 10(2) | | 1 | | 1 (1) | | March 1987 | Aberdeen |
| 5 | Paul Hilton | CB | 9 (5) | 3 | 1 (1) | | 0 (1) | | 1984 | Bury |
| 9 | Leroy Rosenior | CF | 9 | 5 | | | | | March 1988 | Fulham |
| Other Players ||||||||||||
| 8 | Frank McAvennie | CF | 8 | | | | 1 | | June 1985 | St Mirren |
| 3 | Julian Dicks | LB | 8 | | | | | | March 1988 | Birmingham City |
| 2 | Steve Potts | D | 7 (1) | | 1 | | 1 | | May 1984 | Academy |
| 12 | Eamonn Dolan | CF | 1 (3) | | | | | | 1986 | Academy |
| 1 | Phil Parkes | GK | 1 | | | | | | February 1979 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 6 | Alan Devonshire | LM | 1 | | | | | | October 1976 | Southall |
| 4 | Neil Orr | CM | 1 | | | | | | January 1982 | Morton |
| 12 | Stuart Slater | M/F | 0 (2) | | | | | | 1987 | Academy |